It’s been an extraordinary year. I’d like to thank the Board, the Executive team and our 1,550 colleagues for making sure that Abri continued to support customers and communities during the most challenging of times.
And, of course, to thank our customers for their patience and understanding when it became necessary to modify and adapt our services in response to Covid-19.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing chair Lindy Morgan for her eleven years of service, in particular her leadership and passion in championing the needs of customers and communities in pursuit of our social purpose: Creating communities and empowering lives.
Given the uncertainties we faced at the beginning of the year, the Board established a set of guiding principles to help the organisation navigate the pandemic and a turbulent economy. In short, these principles prioritised the health and safety of customers and colleagues and the long-term financial resilience of Abri so that it could continue to provide an effective response. This included reaching out to local authority partners to offer Abri’s resources and support where the need was greatest.
I’m proud of the contribution Abri made over the last year in making homes available to the homeless as part of the government’s drive to end rough sleeping during the pandemic. Abri was also the first housing provider to say it would not take any action against customers in arrears because of the coronavirus. These were important and necessary steps to protect the most vulnerable in our communities.
Our core social purpose is supported by a strong desire to ensure that, as stewards, we leave the organisation in a stronger position that we found it. During the year the Board approved further steps to secure a positive future for the organisation, our customers and communities, including the approval of a 30-year financial plan and the simplification of the Group structure to increase capacity for our most ambitious stock investment and new home development programme ever.
Given the changes in our operating environment, the Board reviewed Abri’s five-year corporate strategy and concluded that, while aspects of it might prove more challenging, it remains appropriate as a statement of intent and future direction. This is to become a top ten housing provider so that we can do more for our customers and communities.
Abri was awarded a G1/V1 rating following its very first in-depth assessment with the Regulator for Social Housing earlier this year. This is the highest standard awarded by the regulator and confirms our position as a strong, stable housing provider.
We made some changes to further strengthen and diversify our Board and Committees during the year with the appointment of Lou Taylor, who was co-opted to the Group Combined Board, Sarah Beckwith, appointed as an independent director of our Development and Asset Committee and Kevin Williamson, who became Chair of a new Resident’s Scrutiny Committee. Kevin was also co-opted to the Audit & Risk Committee, strengthening the link between the governance and the voice of the customer. In addition, we put plans in place to recruit four additional Board directors which were completed shortly after the year-end.
As we step into another year, the Board’s priority is to continue to make sure that Abri remains in the best possible shape to support our customers, communities and partners in recovering from the pandemic, improving our existing homes and communities and increasing the supply of affordable housing. With the actions we have taken and continue to take, I remain confident that Abri will rise to the challenges it will no doubt face over the coming year.